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Artworks
OSUITOK IPEELEE, R.C.A. (1922 or 1923-2005) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET
Polar Bear with Captured Seal, 1984stone, 14.25 x 17 x 10.5 in (36.2 x 43.2 x 26.7 cm).
signed, " ᐅᓱᐃᑐ / ᐄᐱᓕ";"
signed again, "OSAHWTOOK / IPEELEE".
LOT 106
ESTIMATE: $12,000 — $18,000Further images
In our earlier offerings by Osuitok we have discussed the artist’s fixation with beauty and his ability to seductively render his subjects (see Lots 49 and 81). It is interesting...In our earlier offerings by Osuitok we have discussed the artist’s fixation with beauty and his ability to seductively render his subjects (see Lots 49 and 81). It is interesting to see that even when the subject matter involves an act of violence, Osuitok’s stylish manner allows us to appreciate it as an object of striking beauty. This sculpture is a powerful and even poetic statement about the reality of Arctic life; the hunt for food, for humans and animals alike.
Osuitok is famous for his brilliant carving technique - his ability to seemingly open up stone and bend it to his will - and his uncanny ability to balance heavy sculptures, particularly in his depictions of animals. This bear is sturdy but beautifully elegant in its very compactness; it balances on three feet while the fourth foot holds a seal caught in his mouth. The flowing back of the bear leads up to the powerful head, full of confident energy in stark contrast to the lifeless form of the seal he has caught. The seal, even in death, is a strikingly beautiful animal.
Literature: For other depiction of bears by the artist see Gerald McMaster ed., Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010), p. 108; and Jean Blodgett, Grasp Tight the Old Ways: Selections from the Klamer Family Collection of Inuit Art (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario), p. 115.Provenance
Don Morgan Collection, Toronto;
Acquired from the above by Fred and Mary Widding, Ithaca, NY, January 2001.Exhibitions
Ithaca, NY, Handwerker Gallery, Gannett Center, Ithaca College, Of the People; Inuit Sculpture from the Collection of Mary and Fred Widding, 26 February - 6 April 2008, cat. no. 36Publications
Cheryl Kramer & Lillian R. Shafer eds., Of the People; Inuit Sculpture from the Collection of Mary and Fred Widding, exh. cat., (Ithaca, NY: Handwerker Gallery, Gannett Center, Ithaca College, 2008), reproduced, cat. no. 36.
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